Progressive candidates are winning Democratic primaries across the U.S. by leveraging a growing left-wing media ecosystem of websites, podcasts, YouTube shows and livestreams that lets them build national profiles, raise money and mobilize grassroots support while bypassing traditional Democratic establishment gatekeepers.
On Tuesday, progressive Abdul El-Sayed narrowly defeated Haley Stevens, the party establishment’s preferred candidate, in Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary. Despite being massively outspent on television ads by tens of millions of dollars from pro-Israel and other outside groups, El-Sayed prevailed in a swing state that Republican President Donald Trump carried in 2024.
A former state health official and rising star in left-wing media, he advanced views long underrepresented in Washington, including support for universal healthcare, abolishing ICE and cutting military aid to Israel. Pennsylvania state Rep. Chris Rabb, a Democratic socialist, similarly prevailed in a recent congressional primary against a more moderate rival. Appearances on programs such as “The Majority Report with Sam Seder” and “Breaking Points” were key to his breakthrough.
According to Reuters, this fast-growing network—blending opinion journalism and activism—gives candidates sympathetic platforms for in-depth policy discussions rarely seen on cable news, direct voter engagement and shareable social media clips. New media entrepreneurs say they fill a void left by declining reach and trust in traditional outlets. “There is an audience and a demand and a hunger for different viewpoints,” said Mehdi Hasan, the former MSNBC host who launched Zeteo in 2024.
“The same energy that enabled us to be a success as a media entity has enabled a lot of political candidates to be successes.”
Audience metrics underscore the reach: Zeteo has 700,000 Substack subscribers (up 50% from a year ago); “The Majority Report” exceeds 2 million YouTube subscribers, with roughly 75% of listeners under 55; progressive commentator Hasan Piker has more than 3 million Twitch followers.
Candidates often cycle through the same shows, allowing discovery via trusted ideological allies, said Democratic operative Jesse Lehrich, co-host of the podcast “Nobody Knows Anything.” In turn, rising progressive stars help media figures build their brands. “It’s interconnected,” Hasan noted. “I don’t think one is necessarily leading the other.”
Sam Seder of “The Majority Report” said the platforms generate early enthusiasm among activists, organizers and legislative staffers. While smaller and less funded than right-wing media, the left’s independent creators are increasingly shaping primary campaigns, fundraising and organizing. Analysts caution, however, that the dynamic risks deepening fissures within the Democratic Party and alienating moderates in the coalition.